


Wear more blue

by thevaliantdust



Series: Meanwhile in Whitestone [5]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 19:12:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7519894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thevaliantdust/pseuds/thevaliantdust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rare Pair Day 6: Alternative Universe</p>
<p>I know it's late but I finally finished my Modern AU Rare Pair Fic.</p>
<p>Vax/Pike, based on this prompt: 'this stranger on the street corner looks like they’re severely unprepared for this cold weather, here, take my scarf, i was planning on donating it to goodwill anyways’ au</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wear more blue

She’s just leaving the evening service at the temple of Sarenrae when she spots him, which in itself is a miracle because he’s wearing so much black he’s practically one with the darkness. He does seem vaguely familiar, but she can’t quite place him. He looks like he’s freezing his balls off though.

“Hey there, are you alright?” Pike calls out as she gets closer to him. He is tucked into an alcove between the rough stone walls of the temple, whether to avoid the bitterly cold Whitestone wind or the people passing by is anyone’s guess. 

He seems genuinely surprised to have someone speak to him, looking around at first as if to make sure the question wasn’t for someone else. When he seems sure her words are for him, he steps out of the shadows, his dark eyes trained curiously on her.

“I’m… fine,” he says slowly, cautiously. His long black hair is pulled out of his face by two elaborate braids that she doubts he has done himself. Funny that someone would take the time to braid his hair, but not tell him to put a warmer coat on.

She watches his eyes drift towards the direction she came from. “You know,” she starts, and his eyes snap back to her, “the service is over, but there are still hot drinks in the foyer. You look like you could use one.”

A shadow passes over his face and he shakes his head. “No thanks.”

She shrugs. “Alright, you just look very cold.”

He gives her a half smile, pulling his coat tighter around himself. “A little,” he confesses softly. 

She is about to bid him goodnight, as he doesn’t seem particularly interested in talking to her, but instead he surprises her by continuing to speak.

“I won’t be out here too much longer,” he assures her, “I’m just waiting for my sister. I walk her home after work.”

His words are punctuated by a visceral shiver as the wind picks up around them. Pike has never been one to watch others suffer.

“Here,” she says, pulling the scarf from around her neck and offering it to the man.

He looks so perplexed, it’s hard not to laugh. She stands on her tip toes, reaching to put the scarf around his neck. She manages to loop it around him before he can pull away in surprise.

“What? No I can’t-”

“Please keep it,” she says gently, and something in her tone must make an impact on him because he stops trying to pull the scarf off and hand it back. Instead he looks curiously at the pattern of light blue and white zig zags as he holds the thick wool in his hands.

“This…” he pauses, looking directly at her for the first time, sending a tingle down her spine, “is a very nice scarf. You should hold on to it.”

It takes her a split second longer to gather her wits, still weirdly caught up in the depth of his eyes. 

“I have lots of scarves,” she tells him simply. “I was planning on donating that one anyway.” Before she can stop herself or really think it through, she continues. “Besides you can use a bit of colour in your wardrobe.”

Her eyes widen in horror and she immediately tries to backpedal.

“I mean, black is great too, you look great in it, I just-” 

She trails off as he bites back silent laughter, then turns to her with a genuine smile, soft eyes shining. 

“My sister is always telling me I should wear blue. She’ll appreciate this,” he gestures to the scarf as he settles it properly around his neck. “As do I. Thank you.”

Pike smiles with a hint of pink on her cheeks, shaking her head demurely.

“I’m Vax, by the way,” he tells her. She puts her hand out to meet his, secretly enjoying the way his hand dwarfs her own, even if his fingers are freezing.

“Pike,” she returns, reaching for his other hand and pressing them together between her own. He chuckles softly, looking down at the clasped hands between them, but makes no move to pull away.

He waits until she looks up again. “Are you walking home, Pike?” There is a soft tone of concern unlying his words that sets a pleasant hum in her chest. She’s more than capable of taking care of herself, she always has been, but it’s still nice to have someone asking after her.

“Yes, but it’s only up the road to the nurses’ residence,” she tells him, waving him off with a little shake of her head.

“Oh, you’re a nursing student?” he asks with seemingly genuine interest. “I’m in the EMT training programme. Just started actually.”

Well that explained why he was familiar, she’d probably seen him around the hospital at some point. 

“Okay, well, crash course in hypothermia,” she teases, holding up his slightly blue tinged fingers which are still pressed between her tiny hands. “Going out into the bitter cold of winter without gloves or a decent coat can cause dangerous drops in body temperature. Treatment?”

He grins, taking the bait. “Get the patient out of the extreme weather.”

Pike nods sagely, tilting her head to tell him to continue.

“Remove any wet clothing from the patient immediately.”

Why is he grinning so much when he says that? And why does he have to stare into her eyes like that?

“Slowly restore body heat. This can be done by wrapping the patient in blankets and getting them to drink warm liquids.” He pauses for a second, before adding in a low voice. “In some emergency situations, it can be helpful to hold the person close to transfer body heat.” 

There is a moment of tension in the air between them, before Vax steps back, pulling his hands back and sticking them in his pockets. Pike blinks a couple times, not at all sure how to reply.

“So do I pass?” he asks, his tone showing his willingness to continue the game despite his retreat.

“Flying colours,” she tells him warmly, holding back the sudden urge to wrap her arms around him. “You’ll make a great EMT.”

“I hope so,” he says, showing a sudden vulnerability she wasn’t expecting. “I’ve not done a lot of good with my life up until now.”

Struck by his sudden honesty, and the obvious depth of feeling behind it, Pike reaches out to take his hand again, contented when he allows her to grasp it without an issue.

“Well I’ve not known past Vax, only present Vax, and he seems like a pretty alright guy to me,” she tells him with a firm squeeze of his hand.

He smiles but doesn’t reply immediately. They stand for a little while as people pass them by, two near-strangers holding hands, as you do.

“If you don’t mind waiting a little longer,” he finally breaks the soft quiet between them, “I’d very much like to walk you home.”

“I don’t have anywhere else to be,” she tells him simply.


End file.
